Nearly half a dozen institutions of higher education separately announced plans this week to make tuition free for undergraduates who meet certain income requirements, reflecting a growing nationwide effort to make college more affordable¹.

The schools span states from Massachusetts to New Mexico, and include some of the country's leading universities. They all announced their initiatives within days of each other. And while the specific financial requirements for current students applicants² vary between schools, all are slated³ to take effect in fall 2025.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, for example, says undergraduates with family income below $200,000 can attend tuition free starting next year, up from its current threshold of $140,000. It said in its announcement that 80% of American households meet the updated threshold.

The average college sticker price — which covers tuition and fees before scholarships and other aid are factored in — increased by about 5.5% for private schools and roughly 2.3% for public schools in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to U.S. News and World Report.